For storing large objects, stackable transport boxes having correspondingly large dimensions are provided in the prior art, having a flap which can be rotated in the side walls about a horizontal axis to allow loading and unloading of objects. The rotatable flap is rotatably connected to an insertion piece which is fastened in a corresponding recess in the side wall. Such a box is known from EP 876 963.
However, for these boxes it is not possible to load and unload objects, in particular large-surface objects; i.e. the boxes must be removed from the shelves and the objects must be removed from the top. This is very laborious, time-consuming, and cost-intensive. In addition, these boxes are not suitable for high shelves or roller conveyors, in particular because of their high-volume, preferably rectangular dimensions. Furthermore, the known boxes are provided with straight vertical walls and therefore cannot be transported as space-economizing empty boxes. Tapered rotary stacking boxes are recommended for this purpose.
However, it is generally known that boxes that are nestable or partially nestable, i.e. stackable inside one another, or stackable one on top of the other with cross-bracing according to the rotary stacking principle, can be nested together only to the extent that this is applicable to internally stackable tapered boxes, such that an inclination of the side wall provides a clearance of the actual wall thickness of this side wall with respect to the vertical during nesting, since otherwise a clamping effect would result.
However, the taper of the side walls does not allow large-dimension profiles or wall thicknesses, and therefore the box walls are not strong enough. This is a serious drawback, in particular for heavy objects and correspondingly high loads. The criss-cross stacking principle, with crossing surfaces, results in a beamlike or flanged profile which achieves sufficient rigidity to prevent buckling of the walls under compression pressure or load. However, to obtain a maximum loading and emptying, opening this static structure is largely impossible, and cannot withstand the demands under load.
The boxes, among other requirements, must also be able to hold large volumes of objects (for example, cable spools, electrical conduits, etc.). In addition, it must be possible to store the boxes and the objects therein in high shelves, and after a requisition synchronized with production, to remove the boxes.
After removal, it must be possible to transfer the boxes into transport carts or open shelves directly at the production facility or installation site for the objects, for example manually or by use of handling equipment that pulls up to the transport cart or shelf and pulls the objects onto a transport pallet or the like. In addition, for empty transport the greatest possible reduction in volume is sought, which is made possible in particular by the shape of the tapered boxes.
To eliminate these disadvantages and provide a storage, transport, stacking, and order-picking box having minimal volume and high load capacity, and in particular also having a closable unloading opening of maximum size without interfering edges, a box of the type mentioned at the outset and according to a prior patent application by the applicant is proposed. This design allows a composite wall, in which for a rectangular box preferably at least one of the end walls is movable, for example by means of a hinged bottom, or removable as a whole so that after the movable box wall is folded away or removed a large or completely accessible opening into the box interior is created. At the same time, by use of stacking pressure-transmitting and nesting shapes (corner recesses, depressions, or the like) the box is also suitable for superposed stacking according to the crosswise and transverse stacking principle. After latching to the side walls, the compact, stable composite wall is able to withstand a very large stacking pressure, regardless of whether the box has tapered or vertical walls. It is thus possible to stack multiple boxes atop one another for transport, or to compactly nest the boxes for empty or return transport by virtue of the taper, i.e. the stacking edge of the boxes. For latching or unlatching, however, in this case a bar that is accessible from above must be raised or lowered and pivoted out laterally, or for latching, pivoted in from the outside, about pins.